Early morning hoops ahead for Bulldogs, Tigers

Today’s National Invitation Tournament clash between Georgia and Louisiana Tech at Stegeman Coliseum and Sunday’s Clemson-Illinois matchup at Littlejohn Coliseum are both set for 11 a.m. tips, which is about as far from prime time as you can get.

But now that the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is in the third round and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is getting underway on ESPN, the NIT has to take what it can get — and what some teams get is a pretty small TV window.

It’s perfectly understandable, of course.

If you don’t follow a team that earned a bid to the NIT you are likely oblivious to what’s going on in it. And considering all the juicy upsets (welcome back to the NCAAs, Mercer) and overtime thrillers that have taken place already in the Big Dance, Division I college basketball’s consolation prize is largely overlooked.

But just because it’s lost in the shuffle doesn’t make it meaningless.

It’s still a good tourney stocked with some good teams.

The postseason NIT began in 1938 and its champion was the national champion of college basketball up until 1954 when the NCAA Tournament (which began in 1939) became the premiere postseason event.

The NIT originally consisted of a six-team field, expanded to eight in 1941, 12 in 1949 and grew as large as 40 from 2002-06.

Now run by the NCAA, it has a 32-team field with four 8-team quadrants.

One thing that has been a constant is Madison Square Garden — to win the National Invitation Tournament championship, you have to win it there.

“Certainly, our guys were rewarded with an NIT berth,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after his team was selected last Sunday. “I don’t think casual fans realize how difficult it is to make any kind of postseason. The NIT has gotten more difficult the last few years with the addition of all the mid-major regular season champions. There are really only 15 to 18 spots open for at-large consideration.”

And the “team building” the event provides is important as well.

“Our kids are really excited to still be playing,” Georgia coach Mark Fox said. “I think they’ve enjoyed playing with each other and they get to continue that. What I’ve enjoyed the most about this team is that they are indeed just that — a team. The fact that they’re excited to continue playing, I think, is a good thing.”

One element the NIT has going for it that the NCAA Tournament doesn’t is parity.

All 32 teams involved have a realistic chance of advancing to the Big Apple and winning the whole thing.

Only a handful of schools in the NCAA’s Field of 68, however, are legitimate national championship contenders. The fact that programs such as Texas Southern and Cal Poly make it in are nice, but the possibility of storybook endings for them is nonexistent.

But the story continues for the Tigers and Bulldogs as they look very much like teams that can extend their seasons all the way into early April.

Clemson, which trumped Georgia State 78-66 on Tuesday, has won its last 10 home NIT games dating back to a 99-88 drubbing of Middle Tennessee in 1986. Georgia claimed its 20th victory of 2013-14 with an opening round win over Vermont on Wednesday.

Both teams are worth watching — even if you have to get up a little early to do it.